As a consequence of his latest Brickyard 400 win, Gordon moved from seventh to third in the Chase standings. His No. 24 car continues to perform better than anyone's on a consistent basis.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered this race just 12 points behind Gordon in the driver standings, but he faced an uphill battle after he qualified 23rd and settled for ninth place. Ryan Newman won the Brickyard 400 last year, yet he couldn't capitalize on his strong fourth starting position to mount a legitimate defense, placing 11th.

There was good news to be had for Gordon, legendary champion Jimmie Johnson and young star Joey Logano too:

Here is a look at the updated standings following another excellent NASCAR showcase, followed by a more detailed analysis on particular drivers and a look ahead at next week's action.

2014 Sprint Cup Series Driver Standings

Pos.

Driver

Points

1

Jeff Gordon

717

2

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

693

3

Brad Keselowski

666

4

Matt Kenseth

661

5

Jimmie Johnson

628

6

Kyle Busch

609

7

Ryan Newman

606

8

Carl Edwards

603

9

Joey Logano

591

10

Clint Bowyer

577

Source: NASCAR.com

2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid

Pos.

Driver

Points

Wins

Top 5

Top 10

1

Brad Keselowski

666

3

9

10

2

Jimmie Johnson

628

3

6

12

3

Jeff Gordon

717

2

7

14

4

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

693

2

9

14

5

Carl Edwards

603

2

4

8

6

Joey Logano

591

2

7

10

7

Kevin Harvick

565

2

5

9

8

Kyle Busch

609

1

6

9

9

Denny Hamlin

572

1

5

8

10

Aric Almirola

496

1

2

4

11

Kurt Busch

456

1

4

4

12

Matt Kenseth

661

0

8

13

13

Ryan Newman

606

0

2

7

14

Clint Bowyer

577

0

2

8

15

Kyle Larson

562

0

4

9

16

Austin Dillon

559

0

1

3

Source: NASCAR.com

Analyzing Notable Finishers

Jeff Gordon

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

A dream season continues as Gordon seeks his first NASCAR championship since 2001. This was his 14th top-10 result in 20 starts but only his second win of the year.

Many strong races weren't producing checkered flags as of late. Now, Gordon is in an ideal position for the Chase coming off his fifth Brickyard 400 victory.

With 17 laps to go, Gordon got out to a sensational restart, passing teammate Kasey Kahne to take the lead immediately. Crew Chief Alan Gustafson communicated to the driver how critical the final stretch would be; Gordon understood:

Alan: "Alright bud, this is it right here. Let's make it happen." #JeffGordon: "10-4." Alan: "Make sure those tires are clean." #Team24

Executing to the extend that Gordon did is a different matter entirely. The veteran showed off his superior experience, maintaining patience and inching toward the front throughout, managing to make up ground on restarts after falling back from his second-place starting spot.

Matt Willis of ESPN highlighted one notable aspect about Hendrick Motorsports' dominance in the NASCAR realm:

That may not be much consolation for Busch, though, because it was a familiar, first-to-lose spot at the finish line.

Credit Busch for starting outside the top 10 and still managing to nab his third runner-up finish in four races. Some circumstances outside of his control made his battle with Gordon all the more difficult, per Fox Sports: NASCAR:

It must be difficult for Busch to keep his head up amid so many close calls, but he still has a great chance to get into the Chase field of 16, with plenty more opportunities to redeem a strong overall car.

Who will win the Chase for the Sprint Cup?

Jeff Gordon

Jimmie Johnson

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Other (comment below)

Still without a win in 2014, Kenseth continues to deliver week in and week out, though it has to be getting frustrating that he hasn't ultimately converted any of his chances to place first.

Nevertheless, it was necessary for Kenseth to get a strong result. Despite being fourth in the driver standings ahead of Sunday's race, he was slotted 12th in the Chase. That he didn't lead one lap makes it somewhat more impressive that Kenseth managed to finish fourth.

In an eerie parallel to Busch, this was Kenseth's third such result in his four most recent starts. It was a magnificent day for Joe Gibbs Racing too, as the organization saw its three drivers finish second, third and fourth.

It will be interesting to see how both Busch and Kenseth trend in the coming races, beginning with the GoBowling.com next week. If history is any indication, there could be some perilous times ahead for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Hendrick Motorsports has won the past two GoBowling.com 400s—Gordon in 2012 and Kahne in 2013. Kahne led the most laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, so he enters in fine form and will seek to build on the momentum he's just generated.

Plus, Johnson has won the impending race at Pocono in the past as well, giving Hendrick Motorsports three legitimate contenders.

All of those factors should allow Gordon to continue keeping a comfortable lead in the points, continuing to set up an epic story if he's able to win the Chase.